Getting spammed...

Army ROTC applicants and parents...How do you all feel about getting random emails from ROTC Programs at schools not on your list of schools. How would you feel if you got emails or mailings from all 270+ Army ROTC programs. Asking for a friend.

Speaking as a parent it doesn't really bother DD or I as much as you would think. Some of them have been useful with some tid-bits of information gathered from the school, and the ROTC programs in general. It is much better than random College spam emails that have nothing to do with her or her intentions.

Speaking as a parent it doesn't really bother DD or I as much as you would think. Some of them have been useful with some tid-bits of information gathered from the school, and the ROTC programs in general. It is much better than random College spam emails that have nothing to do with her or her intentions.

That would be bad. I received two emails from NMMI yesterday which I object to, especially considering one of them was about ECP which I didn’t even check the box for on my application.

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DS received info from NMMI as well and he didn't check the box either. I thought maybe he had changed it or something. Guess not.

As for the original question, DS is getting tons of emails and regular mail from so many colleges (both ROTC and non-ROTC) that he doesn't even look at them, honestly. His email inbox drives ME crazy because he doesn't delete them either but he pays them no attention. If they were coming directly to me, I would have an issue with it but he doesn't. The only emails he opens are from his liaison officers from the SAs, the ROOs from his top school choices, and info directly from the two schools he's been accepted to (and sometimes not even those!) I am guessing he is not unlike other kids in this.

Just to illustrate how ridiculous it is the number of emails DS has 613 unread emails right now and I am guessing 90% of those are college related somehow. Everyone from Stanford, Harvard types to Hillsdale (??) and others we haven't heard of. Basically I'm not sure spamming kids is terribly effective. They are going to open the ones they are interested in and ignore the rest.

Well, I see the other side as there may be smaller universities that neither I or one of my kids had ever heard of that could end up being a great fit. My daughter got spammed (your words) by the University of Portland almost 10 years ago. We had never heard of the school but did some research any my daughter ended up making an official visit to the school. She spent the night on campus and loved everything about it. She ended up putting the school as her #1 option on the ROTC application and ended up with a great education.

I am sure that most of the young people who are now cadets and mids, received snail mail spam by the "pound" when they were in high school. My DS had it all stacked up in the garage, over a foot tall. (Western Mongolian University etc.).

Nonetheless, I agree with K2, some of these mailers and emails may make a difference in a candidate's life. They only go through the college app process once.

Unfortunately, I still appear on college snail mail lists. They all appear to have a ROTC unit of some sort. Embry-Riddle contacts me every year. I am well past my college years. College is just a fond, distant, golden memory at this point.

Army ROTC applicants and parents...How do you all feel about getting random emails from ROTC Programs at schools not on your list of schools. How would you feel if you got emails or mailings from all 270+ Army ROTC programs. Asking for a friend.

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I will speak for my son...I am certain he would agree. His email inbox was crammed full during his senior year. Why? Not only did he not read the messages, he didn't even check the account. It was comical.

I think mailings were better as he actually had to look at those. Of course, most of those also ended up in the trash.

The schools that did grab his attention...probably because of me...were those that had free room and board to ROTC scholarship recipients boldly highlighted.

Observing DS, not a single snail mail college brochure (most personalized) or email has ever been opened or read by him. The amount of money spent by colleges (a whole book from Harvard) is obscene. Some colleges (Harvard especially) continue to email him monthly. Maybe they work but that hasn’t been our experience.

Unfortunately, I still appear on college snail mail lists. They all appear to have a ROTC unit of some sort. Embry-Riddle contacts me every year. I am well past my college years. College is just a fond, distant, golden memory at this point.

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We were in Irvine California for a baseball camp and went to see a nightime UC Irvine basketball game. That was maybe 6 years ago. I still keep receiving emails from them about buying tickets and such. I dont really mind it, but they wont leave me alone

Well I am guessing the question really is what is effective recruiting for ROTC. I will share our experience and what we think would be effective recruiting (see my notes at the end).

In some cases, phone calls made a difference and DS1 looked hard at schools. Emails did little if anything.

DS number 1 is our experience for AROTC and one service academy. (2 and 3 are “considering”)

Emails, each have been approached by hundreds, yes hundreds of various colleges and universities. 99% percent of messages go un-read. In fact, both created dummy email addresses just for this purpose.

Of those hundreds, maybe a dozen had ROTC programs that sent some sort of information. Most were in the form of emails. All snail mail regarding ROTC came from national mailings, not local battalions.

I am struggling to remember the sequence, but sometime around the formal award of the advance designee AROTC scholarships at least two ROO’s or cadets made some personal phone calls.

Of various programs DS1 looked at here are the summaries of the decision process.

1. State school, made personal phone calls, ultimately rejected because they do not offer the degree wanted. Tiny AROTC program, but huge AF program as it is next to a major AF base.

2. Private school 1, 60k+/yr, called much, mailed some, we toured. Had the correct degrees, school put together a clear letter with financial package paired with ROTC to bring the cost to less than a state school. Ultimately rejected as DS1 needed a medical waiver and this represented a long term financial risk. School has a large AROTC program. They called a lot.

3. Private school 2, location where DS1 did his interview for AROTC. Rejected for the same financial risk as 2. DS considered it because he was impressed with the person that conducted his interview.

4. State school 3, no other reason than is just did not feel right. Not a well known school, small AROTC program.

Program number 5….the one DS1 selected.

5. State school with the proper degree, not far from home. AROTC has about 100 cadets. School has the proper engineering degree. ROO was a little slow to respond at first, but got better as time went on. I can’t say why, but it left open a question. The school itself sent information that the 3 year AD winners would be given the 4th year room, board and tuition. It was not advertised. If the medical waiver does not go through, DS has a regular scholarship there to fall back on.

At the end of the day school 5 turned out to be both the best financial decision has also been the best AROTC program decision. DS1 was selected for ranger challenge, did well and was able to observe these other schools and is very happy with his decision.

My imperfect observations: All, and I mean ALL of the ROTC advance designee awards in our high school have gone to children of prior service members. Often to the same branch as the parent. I would try to recruit among that subset.

Many of the in-school scholarships have the same pattern. Exceptions appear to be in nursing and a few highly recruited professions.

If I were to recommend a recruiting program it would not be spam. I recommend old fashioned personal phone calls and face to face contact when you can. I would also recommend formal use of cadet recruiters if possible, from the general area that the prospects call home. DS1 re-posts photos from events such as Brigade level competition. Those have created a bit of a buzz in a school that is not known to be pro service of any kind.